Tom Hardy’s New FX Drama ‘Taboo’ Has Major Potential

Tom Hardy is officially headed to TV. FX recently issued a series order for the actor’s upcoming dark 19th century drama Taboo. The network is bringing the show stateside after its initial pickup on the U.K.’s BBC One, and fans are already buzzing over the exciting project.

Based on an original story by Hardy and his father, Chips Hardy, the eight-episode series takes place in 1813. It will star Hardy as James Keziah Delaney, a rogue adventurer who returns to England from Africa with 14 illegally acquired diamonds and plans to seek revenge for his father’s death. Instead of selling his family business to the East India Company, he sets out to build his own shipping empire and finds himself caught in the very dangerous crosshairs between warring nations, Britain and America.

An acclaimed actor and a longtime fan favorite with a history of taking on out-of-the-box roles, Hardy’s participation alone is sure to peak viewer’s interest. But the project also has other distinguished members on its creative team. Oscar-nominated director Steven Knight and famed filmmaker Ridley Scott are also lending their commendable skills to the series. Knight is the show’s creator and will serve as co-executive producer with Hardy via his production company Hardy Son & Baker and Scott under his banner Scott Free Films. Hardy and Knight previously teamed together on the British drama, Locke, which received overwhelmingly positive critical reviews. With such a considerably talented team working on the drama for a high-quality network like FX, the show is quickly shaping up to be a can’t-miss.

“I believe with the high standard of creative talent — with Steve Knight and Ridley Scott at the helm — and with the support and backing of these two great broadcasters, we have found the perfect home and team for Taboo,” Hardy said of the project.

FX is losing two of its most acclaimed shows in the near future, with Sons of Anarchy wrapping up next month and Justified ending next year. Now, it’s looking for more noteworthy original content to add to its slate of established shows like American Horror Story, The Strain, Fargo and The Americans. Last month, the network gave a pilot greenlight to the Bill Burr comedy Pariah. The channel also has plenty of intense dramas headed their way, including Kurt Sutter’s The Bastard Executioner, Ryan Murphy’s American Crime Story, and their just-announced Jack The Ripper series, From Hell.

As for Hardy, the upcoming Taboo will mark his biggest starring role on American television, although he previously appeared in smaller parts in Band of Brothers and The Virgin Queen. This past year, he also appeared in the British crime drama, Peaky Blinders. The actor has plenty of projects coming up on the film front as well. He has five films due out next year, including George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road, the Soviet-era drama Child 44, the British crime thriller Legend and Alejandro González Iñárritu’s The Revenant. He’s also rumored to be a part of DC Comics’ much-buzzed about Suicide Squad.

With such a jam-packed schedule, it’ll be a while before fans actually get to see Taboo hit the small screen. The show is currently scheduled start production in mid- to late-2015, with a premiere aimed for mid-2016.